Band of Love
by The-Mango-Tree
Summary: Bentley loved Penelope, but when Sly and Penelope left the gang to share their love somewhere else, they leave Bentley cold and alone in the dust. But when Bentley gets an email from Miss Carmelita, will Bentley learn to love someone else? BentleyxCarm
1. Chapter 1

**Note: **My first Sly Cooper fic! Yayyy! I have been really bored so I thought of this idea and well....wrote it. I hope you like it! P.S. I don't own Sly Cooper. Or Bentley. Or anything else for that matter.

_Monday_

Bentley sighed. It had been two months since the gang broke up and went their seperate ways. On the way to China, Sly and Penelope bonded. Bentley tried to keep Sly's mind on getting the Panda King to their side, but Sly and Penelope wouldn't stop thinking about eachother. Heartbroken, Bentley had suggested that the gang should break up. If Sly couldn't do his job right, than there was no point in attempting to retrieve Sly's belongings from the Evil Dr. M.

Murray and the Guru decided to go back to the Austrailian Outback, where Murray's training contiuned. Bentley hoped he was doing well.

Bentley didn't know where Sly and Penelope had settled. They could have been anywhere in the world, doing anything they wanted. When the gang broke up, they each got their share of the loot that had been stolen. Bentley had enough money to do whatever he wanted as well, but he didn't have the heart to give up the money. It was one of the few memories he had of being in the gang.

Bentley lived in Utah now. He lived in the penthouse where Sly's old nemisis, Mugshot had lived. It was another memory that he couldn't let go. Bentley didn't work, not because of his criminal record (Interpol had finally decided to give up on catching the once gamous Cooper Gang) but because he was ashamed to be seen in a wheelchair. Even the Miss Carmelita Fox had decided to give up on catching the Cooper Gang. Bentley felt lonely and bored for two months.

Bentley made his way over to his computer, where he spent most of his time. He decided to check his email, something that wasn't rare or exciting, but had to be done. Bentley frequently got emails from his doctor, who likes to check on Bentley's progress.

As soon as the page pulled up, Bentley noticed an email from his doctor. He sighed. The Subject read: 'Very Important!' Bentley usually got emails that had the subject 'Important' but they were all only checking on his progress. He cursed Neyla for taking over Clockwerk's body and crushing his legs. Bentley clicked on the email. It read:

**Dear Bentley,**

**I am emailing you to let you know that we have found a way to cure your legs. Please call me or come to my office right away so we can talk.  
Thank you.**

**Sincerely**

**Dr. Dellhart.**

Bentley almost jumped for joy, but then realized he couldn't. He looked at his clock. It was eleven p.m. Too late to go to the office now. But he would definatly be going in the afternoon tomorrow. Bentley did a small dance in his wheelchair before seeing another email that caught his eye. It's subject was a mere 'Hello' but that wasn't the reason Bentley noticed it. The sender was from Carmelita Fox. Bentley raised his eyebrows. What in the world would Carmelita want from him? And how did she get his email address? He clicked on the email.

**Hello Bentley,**

**This is Inspector Carmelita Fox. I heard that you lived in Mesa City now, and I happened to be visiting there from Monday through Friday. I was wondering if you wanted to come have lunch with me around noon on Monday at the Mesa City Cafe. Please write back, I'll be waiting for your reply.**

**Carmelita Fox.**

Bentley's mouth dropped. That was completely unexpected. Bentley hadn't seen Carmelita in a while. He didn't know why she wanted to see him. His curiosity came over him, and he emailed Carmelita back that he would see her on Monday. Yawning, Bentley turned off his computer. He rolled himself into his room. Going to the place where his bed should be, Bentley pressed a button on his chair. The chair vibrated as it turned into a small bed. Bentley quickly and quietly drifted into sleep.

* * *

Bentley checked his calender to see how long until he was supposed to go see Carmelita. What he didn't expect was to see that it was Monday already. "Oh god." He muttered. Bentley figured he would have time to plan out what he was going to wear and if he should dress up. He looked at the clock. It was already ten thirty. He slept in late. Wheeling over to his closet, he began to wonder why he was getting so worked up about seeing Carmelita. It wasn't a date. And he didn't even have feelings for her. So why was he freaking out?

Once Bentley had changed into a pair of jeans and a button up shirt, he headed out the door. It was the first time he had left his home in days. It was eleven thirty by the time Bentley had gotten downtown. He figured he could look around the shops for a little while. He went into one of his favorite stores, TechnoGeek. It was an electronic store with all kinds of little gadgets that Bentley enjoyed using. Most of the things in the store were connected to his wheelchair. He had lots of weapons and other things that he built into the chair. Then he remembered: _I was going to go see Dr. Dellhart today! _

Bentley quickly pulled out his laptop from one of the pouches designed in his chair. He pulled up his email and told Dr. Dellhart that he would be in later than expected. Noting the time, Bentely put his laptop back in its pouch and headed out the door for the Mesa City Cafe. He arrived at eleven fifteen.

Carmelita was already there, sitting at a table. Her face lit up as she saw Bentley come through the cafe doors. She stood up as Bentley rolled toward her. She looked beautiful. Her hair was straight and longer than Bentley remembered it. Bentley thought it looked great in its navy blue color. Carmelita still had a gold hoop earring in her left ear. She wasn't in her Interpol uniform. She had on a pair of blue jeans and a light blue tshirt.

"Hey Bentley! I can't believe I'm seeing you after so long." Carmelita spoke with a softness in her voice. It no longer had the authority Bentely was used to. This was definatly different than being chased by her.

"Y-Yeah. I can't believe you invited me here. I was kinda worried I'd have to run away from you and your shock pistol."

Carmelita laughed. "It was a bit unexpected. And I quit Interpol a while ago, so they confiscated my shock pistol. I thought this would be a good time to start over. Where is Murray and Sly anyways?"

Bentley's heart sunk. Would Carmelita only invite Bentley to spend time with her to find out more about Sly? They had always had a romantic connection. Why did Sly get all the girls?

"Murray went back to Australia with the Guru to continue his training. I don't kow where Sly went. He left with Penelope. That is the whole reason the gang broke up you know."

"Really? That sucks." Carmelita tilted her head a bit. "Penelope was that girl from Holland right?"

"Um. Yeah." Bentley really didn't want to talk about Penelope. He had loved her from the moment he saw her. Even if she did lie about her appearance on their chats. She was beautiful...

"Bentley?"

Bentley shook his head. "Sorry. Just thinking."

The two sat in silence until the waitress came. They ordered and started talking about the Cooper Gang.

"So why exactly did you guys go your own way?" Carmelita asked.

Bentley hesitated. He definatley wasn't fond of the story.

Carmelita saw Bentley's face and said quickly, "If you don't want to tell me that's okay."

"No no, it's fine. Let's see." He began telling Carmelita about getting into Dr. M's fortrace and how they would need help with it. He told her how he and Penelope met, over the Internet, and when they met in person. He explained how Penelope lost all interest in him and went for Sly.

"Then they just clicked. They couldn't focus on anything, and I thought, 'What's the point of doing this? It's not for me, it's for Sly.'" Bentley shrugged. "I got sick of it."

The food arrived and Carmelita began to explain why she quit Interpol.

"I had gone after the Cooper Gang for years. Once I found that you all had stopped being thieves and causing trouble, I found nothing else to do. You were my only challenge." She said before shoveling a piece of steak into her mouth.

The two talked about careers, family, and more. At two o'clock, Bentley annoucned that he had to go.

"I have an appointment with my doctor. We're setting up a date for me to get my legs fixed." Bentley smiled widely.

"That's great! You'll have to call me when you find out when your surgery is set up. I'll come down and see you."

Bentley felt fluttery inside. Finally, someone who wanted to hang out with him, _be _with him. He was ecstatic.

They left the Cafe and said goodbye.

"I'll call you!" Shouted Bentley.

"I'll be waiting!"

Bentley grinned as he headed toward his doctor's office.


	2. Chapter 2: Happiness

**Note: **This story was created a long time ago and I have finally gotten around to update it. I will finish this story, hopefully during this summer. Enjoy~

_Happiness_

Bentley rolled into the doctor's office casually, trying to hide his excitement. The past two hours he had spent with Carmelita was…different. He was used to a harsh Carmelita, one that was only interested in capturing him and his friends. It was like she had completely changed, and he would be lying to himself if he said he didn't like it. He was glad to have someone who cared.

Smiling, Bentley came up to the desk of Dr. Dellhart. He cleared his throat for the doctor to notice him.

Dr. Dellhart turned around in his chair. When he saw Bentley, his face lit up. "Bentley, m'boy!" The elderly koala. He pushed up his glasses, then folded his hands on his desk. "I see you've gotten my email. Are you ready to hear about what we can do for your legs?"

Bentley nodded excitedly. "Yes, Doctor." He sat patiently.

"Alright then," Dr. Dellhart said. He pulled a drawer open and pulled out a file. He opened the file, examining it to make sure it was the correct one. "Ah, here we are." He read the file out loud. "For the patient, Bentley Turtle, dead nerve tissue shall be removed from the patient's leg and replaced with fresh nerve tissue, created by doctors and scientists working in the firm." Dr. Dellhart looked up from the paperwork and removed his glasses. "After the surgery is complete, you'll need to come in for a few physical therapy sessions."

"Of course," Bentley agreed, thinking about receiving nerve tissue from another person. It didn't sound too pleasant, but if it got him his legs back, he just couldn't refuse.

"Good! The surgery will be next Thursday at eight in the morning. We'll need you here about an hour early for preparation." Said the koala.

Bentley nodded once more.

"I'll see you then, Bentley." The doctor said, escorting Bentley out of the office.

Bentley thought as he rode up the elevator to his suite. His legs would be fixed within a week. He'd need to get a new bed…and a job, or something for him to do. It would be life changing. As soon as he reached his place, he headed for the computer, and emailed Carmelita immediately. He told her the date of the surgery and all about the physical therapy sessions, and gave her his phone number just in case she wanted to call. He sent the email and waited for the reply. He waited…and waited…and waited until he fell asleep in his chair.

A ding came shortly after he drifted off, indicating that he had received an email. Excitedly, he looked through his messages, only to see that the email was not from Carmelita. It was from…Murray? Shocked, he opened the email and began to read it.

**Hey Bent**ley, this is Murray. I sure hope you remember me. I'm almost finished with my training with the Guru and when I am done, I was wondering if we could meet up somewhere. Oh well my dinner is ready. See ya!

Murray

Bentley stared at the screen. This was so strange. His life seemed to be getting too good. He wondered if someone were pulling a prank on him. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the bad thoughts.

He emailed Murray back, telling him that he was ecstatic to hear from him and would try to find a date for them soon. Then he left his laptop, forgetting about Carmelita's email. He looked outside at the dark sky and bright city lights. He rested his cheek on his hand, staring through the glass.

_Bent_ley typed shakily on his computer. He remembered the first time he began typing while in the van. It was so bumpy and rough, he found focusing on his work extremely difficult. But now, years later, typing was easy for him. The only reason he couldn't focus now was because they had a woman on their team. A beautiful woman, a woman he loved. This, of course, made it much more difficult to focus on work.

He was working on the plan to get into Dr. M's. The vault was under tight lock and key, but he had decided that with the help of a few more people, he would be able to find a way into it. If he could only find a way past that one piece of equipment-

"Oh, Sly! You're so funny!" Bentley heard a raspy, yet lovely voice flow through his ears behind him. He turned, seeing Penelope smiling brightly at his friend. Bentley scowled and turned back to his work, trying to tune them out.

"Thanks, Penelope." Sly replied, smiling flirtatiously at the girl. She sighed a romantic sigh, and the two continued talking in their lovey-dovey ways.

A few moments later, Bentley heard Murray's booming voice travel to the back of the van. "Hey you guys! I'm starving! Can we stop somewhere and get something to eat?"

"No!" Bentley yelled. "We have to get this mission going!"

"But Bentley!" Penelope whined. "I'm so hungry! I agree with Murray, let's stop somewhere and eat."

Bentley sighed and nodded, unable to refuse the girl. "Get some costumes out from the trunk. We'll need to disguise ourselves if we go out." He mumbled.

Penelope did as she was told, and soon they were all dressed up. Penelope and Sly had matching color schemes. Penelope was wearing a pink sparkly dress that showed things that Bentley couldn't help but stare at. Sly dressed in a tuxedo with a vest and tie that matched Penelope's. Murray called dibs on the rocker get up they had, and began to apply 'guy-liner' to his eyes. The Guru had picked typical men's wear: a yellow polo, a pair of sunglasses, and khaki pants. This left Bentley with the 'hillbilly' outfit. A blonde mullet wig and a red vest.

Sly helped Penelope out of the van when they reached their destination. She whispered in his ear, and he nodded, and then turned to his friends. "We think it might be best if we go in at different times, and not sit with each other. So we aren't so obvious."

Murray and the Guru agreed. "But I want to go in first. I'm starving." Murray complained.

Sly nodded. "Okay, we'll go in after you three."

Bentley kept quiet, knowing that if he opened his mouth he might blow up at everyone. He followed the Guru and Murray quietly in his wheel chair. The place they were at was a fast food restaurant, so they wouldn't be long. Bentley told Murray what he wanted and went to choose a table for the three. Moments later, Murray came back with three trays. He gave Bentley and the Guru their food, then kept the enormous amounts that were left to himself. He and the Guru talked amongst themselves. Bentley kept quiet. Soon he heard laughing behind him. He turned to see Penelope and Sly walk in, hand-in-hand. His heart sank and he turned back, quietly eating.

Bentley awoke from his day dream with a shake of his head. He had been staring out the window for too long. He sighed and went to his bedroom. How could Sly had done that to him? He knew Bentley had feelings for Penelope, even if the feelings weren't mutual. It just wasn't fair.

Bentley's thoughts were interrupted by the loud ringing of the phone. Tiredly, Bentley rolled over to it, picked it up, and answered. "Hello?" He said, annoyed.

"Bentley?"

His mood brightened. "Carmelita?"

"Bentley! So you have a date for your surgery? Next Thursday?"

"Yes! Will you come to see me?" He asked, excitedly.

"Of course! I'll come to your house Thursday evening. Leave a key under the mat so I can get in. I'm sure you won't want to be getting up."

Bentley grinned. Could this really be happening? "Will do! But, you're here for until Friday. I would like to see you again sometime this week." He said, not realizing what was coming out of his mouth. This confidence was not something he was used to.

"I'll have to see, Bentley." Carmelita said, sadly. "I'm here for work, so it depends on what they give me. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." Bentley said. "Bye."

"Good night. Sleep well!" She hung up.

Bentley hung up as well, his heart fluttering. This day was fantastic. He was going to get his legs fixed, he had found someone, a girl someone, who had wanted to spend time with him, and his old friend was finally going to come back. He sighed happily and rolled back into his bedroom, where he stared out at the city again, this time, with good thoughts surrounding him.


End file.
